Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanism for controlling charging in a communication network. Specifically, the present invention is related to an apparatus, a method and a computer program product which provide a mechanism allowable flexible charging in specified communication areas of a communication network, for example of a WLAN.
Related Background Art
Prior art which is related to this technical field can e.g. be found in technical specifications related to WLAN, such as 3GPP TS 23.234 (see e.g. version 9.0.0), as well as in documents related to access authentication, authorization and accounting procedures and protocols, such as IETF RFC 2866 (RADIUS accounting) and IETF RFC 4005 (DIAMETER NAS application).
The following meanings for the abbreviations used in this specification apply:
AAA authentication, authorization and accounting
AVP attribute value pair
CDR call data records
HLR home location register
HSS home subscription server
NAS network access server
OCS online charging system
PDG packed data gateway
RADIUS remote authentication dial in user service
SLF subscription locator function
TLV type length value
WAG WLAN access gateway
WLAN wireless local area network
In the last years, an increasing extension of communication networks, e.g. of wire based communication networks, such as the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), DSL, or wireless communication networks, such as the cdma2000 (code division multiple access) system, cellular 3rd generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) communication networks like the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), enhanced communication networks based e.g. on LTE or LTE-A, cellular 2nd generation (2G) communication networks like the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), the General Packet Radio System (GPRS), the Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE), or other wireless communication system, such as the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Bluetooth or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), took place all over the world. Various organizations, such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Telecoms & Internet converged Services & Protocols for Advanced Networks (TISPAN), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), the WiMAX Forum and the like are working on standards for telecommunication network and access environments.
With the wider deployment of automatic login procedures for Wi-Fi in public hotspots, roaming will be more widely deployed between hotspot operators and in particular mobile operators, which like to offload cellular traffic to WLAN or the like to prevent congestion in cellular networks, e.g. in dense areas.
Roaming describes an architecture for allowing customers of one operator to get access to the network of another operator. While the access authentication, authorization and accounting are based on the well known methods using, for example, RADIUS or DIAMETER protocol for carrying information between the home operator (i.e. the operator to which a customer or user has a subscription) and the visited operator (i.e. the operator of the network to which the customer likes to connect), roaming adds several additional functions. These function, to which for example rating, clearing, negotiating processes, financial settlement and the like may belong, may be performed by a third party entity which is also called roaming provider.
However, usually, a third party roaming provider causes extra costs which add to the value chain of the extremely cost sensitive WLAN roaming. Hence, the usage of such third party roaming providers is not optimal from the financial point of view.
On the other hand, conventionally, when omitting such third party roaming providers for rating, clearing and financial settlement, only simple financial models are applicable.
For example, in case it is intended to charge services in special areas (also referred to as specified communication areas) differently, e.g. by operators of a WLAN which is positioned in particular locations (e.g. expensive locations as luxury hotels, conference centers, etc.), that is in case these operators wish to charge users differently in comparison to e.g. public locations (e.g. train stations, parks, etc.), for example since a better network performance or a higher security level is provided, such additional charges are usually accounted by demanding a given fee from the users to allow access to their network.